Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Macbeth’s character Essay

It is a fair assessment of Macbeth’s character to call him nothing but a brutal and ruthless villain? In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is a very complex character showing many different traits in his many appearances throughout the play. The story starts after a battle; Macbeth then meets three witches who foresee that he will become King of Scotland. These witches knew all about Macbeth’s fatal flaw, his greed for power. This fatal flaw, as a typical tragic hero was the cause of his downfall. There is no doubt that throughout the play Macbeth is a brutal and ruthless villain, but it is certainly questionable to say that they are his only qualities Before Macbeth is even introduced to the audience, we are already told of his capacity for brutality. The captain describes Macbeth’s actions to the king when he says, â€Å"Like Valour’s minion, carved out his passage / Till he faced the slave.† The captain goes on to say, â€Å"Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, / Till he unseamed him from nave to chaps.† This statement also shows the brutality and barbarity of Macbeth’s character very well as he did not just end this mans life in an honourable and quick way, but instead sliced him all the way from his stomach to his jaw. Macbeth is also obviously very highly regarded among his colleagues and indeed enemies as being both brutal and brave, as the captain again says to Malcolm, â€Å"For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)†, showing that others thought of him as a very brave man. There is a lot of irony in this point as at this point in the play, Macbeth is being very highly regarded as being brave and ruthless, whereas later on these same qualities will lose him all his respect. As the play unfolds Macbeth finds it increasingly easy to kill innocent people, which shows clearly the ruthlessness and the brutality of his character. The first person that Macbeth kills in the play is King Duncan. Shakespeare’s audience would have taken this particular crime of regicide very seriously as they believed in divine right, that the king was chosen from God and anyone who took that power away was defying God and it was the ultimate wrong. King James would have been very pleased at this element of the play, as it showed that any person who committed regicide suffered greatly as a consequence of it. Also the fact that Macbeth murdered a King while he was sleeping and was utterly defenceless would have been seen as being very dishonourable. The most innocent of all of Macbeth’s victims of his barbarity is Lady Macduff and her son. Macbeth’s other victims are all directly blocking his path to supreme power and so one could argue that they were necessary, but Lady Macduff and her family are just a precaution that Macbeth took to try and get to Macduff. . In the scene where Lady Macduff and her son are killed, the innocence of the child is emphasised in his language and the questions that he asks his mother. When his mother questions how he will live after his father’s death he replies, â€Å"As birds do, mother†, clearly showing his naivety and vulnerability. This further enhances the barbarity, as Macbeth’s victims were so unaware of Macduff’s business and also Macbeth was not even honourable enough to do the deed himself. Although Macbeth is unaware of his fatal flaw, he still acknowledges that he is becoming more and more ruthless as the story progresses. He uses a metaphor of a river of blood to clearly show how he feels inside. Macbeth says: â€Å"I am in blood Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.† By using this metaphor, Macbeth is saying that he has killed so many people now that it would be easier to carry on being ruthless and barbaric then to go back and repent. Macbeth is here admitting that he has done wrong and thinks of himself as a lost cause that has no hope of doing good ever again. Macbeth also says, â€Å"We are yet but young in deed†, suggesting that Macbeth sees the deeds he has committed so far as small in comparison to the deeds that he will commit in the future. Finally in Act Five Macbeth says that he has ‘forgotten the taste of fear, showing that because of the witches telling him that no man born of a woman can harm him, he does not fear anything anymore. The character that was the driving force behind all his wrong doings starting from the murder of King Duncan was Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth. Therefore one would imagine that when she died, Macbeth would be devastated, but in reality when she does die Macbeth shows no remorse at all. When Seyton informs Macbeth that his wife is dead, all Macbeth can say is: â€Å"She should have died hereafter: There would have been a time for such a word – Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow†. In this Shakespeare is trying to emphasis just how much Macbeth has changed throughout the book, from going from a loving husband to not even caring about the death of his wife. It is almost as if Macbeth at this point is incapable of human emotions anymore, like he has turned into the beasts that first gave him these apparitions. Macbeth is an extreme tyrannical ruler of Scotland and chooses to rule with fear rather than ruling out of respect. When Malcolm and Macduff are describing Macbeth’s rule, they use personification to emphasise the amount of damage that Macbeth is doing to Scotland. Macduff says, â€Å"Bleed, bleed, poor country, / Great tyranny. Lay thou thy basis sure.† This makes Scotland’s suffering seem human and the use of personification enhances the bad feelings that the reader has for Macbeth and also the feelings that Scotland is a victim is enhanced. Macbeth’s brutality and ruthlessness leads to him being very short of loyal followers as they all disapprove of his tyrannical ruling methods. The few that do remain do so only out of fear of what Macbeth would do if they did not obey him. When Rosse and the messenger warn Lady Macduff that Macbeth’s murderers are on the way to kill them, Rosse says, â€Å"I am so much a fool, should I stay longer† and the messenger says, â€Å"I dare abide no longer†. These two statements clearly show the fear that these men have for their lives in disobeying Macbeth. The fact that even Macbeth’s own men fear him enhances the evil feeling that the reader has for Macbeth. Shakespeare strengthens the image that Macbeth is a ruthless villain by the opinions that others have for him. In Acts 4 and 5, the English leaders refer to Macbeth as a ‘butcher’, a ‘hell-hound’ and an ‘abhorred tyrant.’ This shows the disrespect that the neighbouring countries felt for Macbeth’s reign. Shakespeare also uses pathetic fallacy to emphasise the evilness of Macbeth’s crimes, when the porter says, â€Å"This place is too cold for hell. I’ll devil-porter it / no further,† this is quite an extreme statement showing that Macbeth’s castle is even worse than hell, indicating evil and wrong doing is present in some way. All this imagery is used by Shakespeare to further add to the evil feelings that the reader has for Macbeth’s crimes against the King. It can however be argued that Macbeth has certainly not been a brutal and ruthless villain all throughout the play. Before we even meet Macbeth we are presented with a view of him being a noble man as we are told this by the king when he describes Macbeth as a ‘valiant cousin!’ and a ‘worthy gentleman!’ The captain also says ‘brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name’. These two accounts of Macbeth clearly show both the Captain and the King’s respect for Macbeth. Shakespeare builds up Macbeth like this so that when he does fall, it will be so much greater. Macbeth’s first major crime is the murder of King Duncan. Although this in itself could definitely be seen as brutal and ruthless, Macbeth did show a lot of anxiety about performing the crime before and he did show a great deal of regret after the deed. Macbeth hears knocking after he has murdered Duncan and Macbeth says, â€Å"Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst,† it is apparent from this that Macbeth has certainly got a conscience, as he wished that he could reverse his actions. Shakespeare also uses a metaphor of blood on Macbeth’s hands to emphasise his guilt when Macbeth says: â€Å"Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand† Macbeth is experiencing the feeling that no matter what he does, he can never wash off the stain of his guilt. Macbeth is not the only one to blame for his crimes and had it not been for Lady Macbeth it could certainly be argued that Macbeth would not have acted on any of his ideas of murder. Lady Macbeth says that Macbeth is ‘too full o’ the milk of human kindness’, using the word ‘too’ to make it sound like it was a weakness on Macbeth’s part, showing that she feels Macbeth is too pleasant to be committing these types of crimes. Also Lady Macbeth uses all her powers of persuasion to get Macbeth to do what he wants. She questions his manhood, she uses flattery when she says, â€Å"And, to be more than you what you were, you would / Be so much more the man,† and she also uses emotional blackmail to twist Macbeth’s mind. With this constant source of irritation always near him, it is no wonder that he gave in in the end. It is not surprising that Macbeth eventually gave in to his wife as she is such a powerful and dominating character in the book Shakespeare re-enforces the idea of Lady Macbeth being powerful and evil when Lady Macbeth says: â€Å"Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here† This statement makes Lady Macbeth sound like the witches and therefore enhances her evilness and domination of Macbeth. Macbeth would not be considered ruthless and brutal had it not been for the forces of evil in the three witches. Macbeth was merely a puppet in their plan. They knew his weakness for power and used it against him. They told him exactly what he wanted to hear and that consequently led to the death of the king. Macbeth would have remained faithful to king and country, if the witches had not filled his head with thoughts that he could not escape. Therefore Macbeth was not the evil and villainous one, he was merely a victim of the witch’s evil. The evil in the witches is emphasised by Shakespeare’s use of pathetic fallacy. At the beginning of the play Shakespeare says in the stage directions ‘[Thunder and lightning]’, using pathetic fallacy to make the witches seem even wicked and their power emphasised as it almost seems that they have control over the weather. As there is so many factors that show that Macbeth is not just merely a brutal and ruthless villain, it would be wrong to call Macbeth ‘nothing but’ a villain. The very fact that Macbeth is a tragic hero is evidence in itself that Macbeth has the potential for good but is merely destroyed by his fatal flaw, because tragic hero’s have to start with power and respect and gradually lose that throughout the play. This is summed up perfectly in Act 4 Scene 3 when Malcolm says: â€Å"This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues, Was once thought honest: you have loved him well.† Despite all the crimes that Macbeth has committed, Malcolm is still saying that this was not always the case, showing further evidence that Macbeth is more than just a brutal and ruthless villain.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Netflix Strategic Management

| Netflix| Heather Murdock, Brian Wynn, Joseph Casey, Samuel Faulkner, Allen Porter, Josh Blum| | The University of Memphis| 4/13/2013| | â€Å"Netflix, Inc. is the world’s leading Internet television network with more than 33 million members in over 40 countries enjoying more than one billion hours of TV shows and movies per month, including original series. For one low monthly price, our members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen.Additionally, in the United States, our subscribers can receive standard definition DVDs, and their high definition successor, Blu-ray discs, delivered quickly to their homes† (SEC Filings, 2013). Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph established Netflix in 1997 in order to offer online movie rentals. In 1999, the firm launched its infamous subscription service that offered unlimited rentals for a monthly subscription, but it was not until the year 2000 that Netflix gave their firm a true comp etitive advantage when it implemented its movie recommendation algorithm. Within two years, Netflix made its IPO at a net value of $82,000,000 on NASDAQ.From the IPO to present, Netflix has amassed more than thirty-three million members. During this continual climb, Netflix opened its streaming service in 2007, created major partnerships from 2009 until 2010 which allowed for Netflix widgets on electronic hardware systems, and since 2010 has been establishing international operations in primarily English speaking countries (Company Overview: Netflix Timeline, 2013). Knowing the background of the company, the individuals responsible for managing the company can be discussed with an understanding of what they have achieved.At the center of everything, Netflix related is Reed Hastings, the Co-Founder, and CEO. Prior to Netflix, Reed founded one of the 50 largest software companies, Pure Software. Reed has additionally served on the California State Board of Education from 2000 to 2004. Reed’s long-term determination has resulted in the company’s endured success despite serious dilemmas. Kelly Bennet is the Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to Netflix, Kelly served as VP of Interactive World Wide Marketing at Warner Brothers for nearly a decade. Additionally, he has served executive positions in Dow Jones International and Ignition Media.Kelly’s wide range of media experiences has provided the company with the effective understanding of the company is marketing channels. Tawni Cranz is the Chief Talent Officer. Prior to Netflix, Tawni was the HR director of Bausch & Lomb. Tawni has worked with Netflix since 2007. Jonathan Friedland is the Chief Communications Officer. Prior to Netflix, Jonathan was the SVP of Corporate Communication for The Walt Disney Company. Before his executive position, he spent 20 years as a foreign correspondent and editor. Bill Holmes is the Chief Business Development Officer.Prior to Netflix, Bill served as Vice Presiden t Business Development & Strategy at DivX, Inc. Neil Hunt is the Chief Product Officer. Prior to Netflix, Neil served in various engineering and product roles at the software test tool companies. Bill has been with Netflix since 1999. David Hyman is the General Counsel. Prior to Netflix, David was the General Counsel of Webvan. David has been with Netflix since 2002. Ted Sarandos is the Chief Content Officer. Prior to Netflix, Ted was an executive at ETD and Video City. Ted has been with Netflix since 2000. David Wells is the Chief Financial Officer.Prior to Netflix, David spent six years in senior roles across Deloitte Consulting. David has been with Netflix since 2004. Finally, there is an illustrations board of directors who monitor Netflix to ensure that the executive’s vision for the company is aligned with the stockholder’s needs. The important individuals on the board of directors are Ann Mather, Reed Hastings, and Timothy Haley (Company Overview: Management, 20 13). The combined corporate experience of all the executive members has provided Netflix with an invaluable brain trust to power their dominant market share.Knowing who runs Netflix and knowing what the individuals share, as a common mission and value system, will help clarify the company’s situation in future paragraphs. Netflix does not have an official mission statement or series of values known to the public. However, the company hiring policy does list company culture qualifiers, which are rather similar to an ad hoc value system. In a company where efficiency and responsiveness is everything, Netflix does not carry very many policies or mission statement related items because they believe policies are largely ineffective at producing desired results.Their concept centralizes around the idea that the Netflix corporate brand sustains itself by creating the highest quality product and service with the highest quality employee. This undetermined result orientated mission st atement means that the employees and management hold a great deal of ethical and work autonomy. This autonomy has generated a clarified list of desired employee values: Judgment, Communication, Impact, Curiosity, Innovation, Courage, Passion, Honesty, and Selflessness (‘Top Reasons to Work at Netflix’, 2013).Knowing the motivation behind Netflix being a result oriented methodology, it will be relatively easy to understand the major goals of the company. The core strategy of Netflix is to grow their streaming subscription business domestically and internationally. Netflix has established streaming services to more than 40 countries outside of the United States. Netflix executives believe streaming content online is a large long-term growth opportunity. Due to an economy of scales, Netflix current controls the majority of the content streaming market.The other primary strategies for Netflix includes maintaining the highest customer satisfaction in the market, providing Ne tflix’ streaming service on every device, and transitioning a larger market portion into international markets. It is understandable why Netflix has been willing to venture into unexplored business ventures, such as the online content streaming, with full confidence that these new ventures will carry their company into the next generation of entertainment consumption mediums when you compare their ventures to their values and person-embodied technologies.Netflix’ intention to be usable on every device is the company’s stretch goal. The effort to become primarily a content streaming company is a long-term challenge due to the mentioned content licensing liability that would adversely affect the business if obstructed (SEC Filings, 2013). Regardless of any ambitions, there are difficulties that the company has had to face, forcing Netflix to change their long-term strategy. â€Å"Prior to July 2011, in the (United States) †¦ subscribers could receive both st reaming content and DVDs under a single ‘hybrid’ plan† (SEC Filings, 2013).The hybrid plan was broken into two different subscription services, and subscribers could choose which services interested them the most. That decision was an emergent strategy that developed due to the implementation of DVD kiosks by Red Box and Block Buster. The Stock peaked at an all-time high of 295 during July 2011, and the decisions resulted in an 80% loss in stock value (Yahoo! Finance Inc. , 2013). The company continued to recover with a primarily international and streaming strategy (SEC Filings, 2013). Netflix has successfully established itself in several related industries.They are a powerful online media provider and well as the leading online movie and game rental distributor. Several recent changes in these industries have occurred due to the competition of big business. Some changes have had a positive and negative effect on Netflix. On the political side, Netflix and other entertainment providers have benefited greatly from the U. S. Department of Homeland Security recent initiatives on the seizing of dozens of illegal streaming and torrent sites due to copyright infringement. Over the past several years’ websites such as torrentfreak, alluc. org, dvdcollect. om, and watchnewfilms. com have been seized or shut down by the U. S. government. These initiatives were a product of the growing concern of copyright infringement from the TV and film industry. Similar to the massive seizures of programs such as limewire and napster in the mid 2000 is forced by the music industry. This has also helped the Legal side of the industry that was much more complicated six years ago than it is today. Copyrights, Trademarks, Patents, and licensing have become easier to obtain for legitimate businesses due to the confidence and maturity of the industry as a whole.An unforeseen change in copyright law could have an effect on Netflix and its competitors. The econom ic factors that affect this industry are unclear. Logic suggests that entertainment spending would decrease during a recession due to a decrease in disposable income. However, DVD rentals have continued to grow. This may be because consumers are seeing DVD rentals and online streaming as cheap entertainment alternatives to their counterparts, such as visits to the movie theater or the purchase of an expensive DVD. The sociocultural factors that have affected the industry are mostly related to the advancement of technology over the last decade.Consumers are more tech savvy and thus are purchasing more products and services that enhance the speed, quality, availability, and price of what they watch. One demographic concern is the aging of the population. As baby boomers grow older they may begin to pursue less visual entertainment. There are no substantial ecological factors affecting this industry. The energy used to run the Netflix’ servers might be a concerning factor if not for the large reduction of domestic shipping and transportation that companies such as Redbox are using instead of streaming.If anything this industry’s emergence has had a positive effect on the environment because it is transforming what used to be physical product with a life cycle into timeless packages of data. The technological advances in video streaming since Netflix first decided to be an instant video provider are astounding. From what was just an emerging technology just a decade ago is now a major function of every major website in the world. The most significant entry into the market was actual TV networks designing their own websites for content streaming.Not only does this erase content that Netflix would be potentially able to offer their customers but also creates new competitors. In reference to Netflix’ other side of the business, there has been several changes in the way consumers rent DVD’s. Redbox has emerged as an industry giant by establ ishing kiosks all over the U. S. making DVD rental cheap and extremely hassle free. Traditional brick and mortar establishments are practically nonexistent due to the convenience and price of by-mail, kiosk, and instant viewing channels.The five forces model for Netflix is complicated because the DVD rental business and online media streaming are two very separate markets with different customers and competitors. The threat of new entrants on the DVD rental side of the company is not as great as it is on the online streaming side. DVDs are an older technology and a large amount of capital is required to enter this market. It is also difficult to classify exactly who and what Netflix’ direct competitors are as this industry is rapidly evolving and shifting. Netflix competes with companies on several levels of the video entertainment industry.Netflix and its competitors serve consumers on a number of alternative channels for in-home entertainment such as: brick and mortar renta l businesses, DVD vending machine services, DVD mail delivery, online rental, pay-per view rental, video on-demand services, online video purchasing, and brick and mortar retail stores. This collection of competition makes it difficult to assign a particular competitor to a specific strategic group. The threat of new entrants is low. Capital requirements to enter this industry are high and existing competition have established brands and developed unique echnology. The main concern for Netflix is if a large indirect competitor with recourses suddenly decided it wanted to enter the market. The power of suppliers is high in this industry. Netflix obtains its product directly from studios. A broken relationship could cost them an immense amount of viewing content and in turn provide their competitors with that same content. There are no viable substitutes for the content they purchase from the major film and television studios. Supplier can and are forwardly integration themselves into the industry.The most notable example of this is from the premium cable networks such as: Starz, Encore, Showtime, and HBO. These networks have all established their own premium sites for content streaming with a log-in available through a customer’s cable provider. The power of buyers is moderate to low. The customers are individual consumers so they do not present a great deal of buyer power as a purchasing group. However, Netflix’ revenue is obtained completely form individual customers that are price sensitive. As a whole they are not capable of backward integration which gives them only moderate power.The threat of substitutes is very high. There is an abundance of different channels a customer could go through to replace Netflix. Netflix customers could simply turn to Cable and satellite television networks, movie theaters, other streaming sites, free sites, rental kiosks and purchasing DVDS to replace Netflix. The switching costs are all relatively low. The riv alry among existing competitors is also relatively high and should only continue to increase. Partnerships are occurring throughout the industry that will put pressure on Netflix not only for its customers but also its content.Verizon is now partners with Coinstar’s primary subsidiary, Redbox, to launch their own on-demand video streaming site called Redboxinstant. Redbox will now compete with Netflix directly on both sides of its business. If Time Warner allows HBO to offer its website HBOGO to customers without a cable subscription then HBO will transform into a direct competitor of on-demand subscription. Amazon has jumped into the market with their launch of Amazon Prime. Users pay a yearly fee and have access to instant movies, television series, e-books, and a whole array of other value adding services.Wal-Mart has purchased VuDu, another streaming service that integrates into devices such as Sony’s Playstation 3 to provide instant viewing to subscribing members. Unlike other services Vudu offers titles available the same day they are released on DVD. Google, Apple, and BlockBuster have all also joined the market with their own version of on-demand entertainment. The competition remains high because these are all powerful companies with equal strengths striving for market leadership. Capabilities| Valuable? | Rare? | Costly to Imitate? Organized to capture value? | Competitive Advantage? | Mail-in DVD Rental| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes| Temporary due to product life cycle. Sustainable for now| Convenience| Yes| No| Yes| Yes| Sustainable/Temporary| Title Variety| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes| Sustainable| Online streaming| Yes| No| Yes| Yes| Competitive Parity/ Temporary Advantage| Instant queue | Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes| Sustainable advantage| Physical Distribution| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes| Temporary due to product life cycle. Sustainable for now| Strengths| Weaknesses| Opportunities| Threats|Instant queue system that makes movie recommendations to customers. | Potent ial liability for negligence, copyright, or trademark infringement. | Investing in viewing material and streaming content. | Changes in consumer viewing habits| Content can be accessed via hardware applications i. e. Xbox, PlayStation, Ipad, Wii. | Declining subscriptions to domestic DVD rental service. | Adoption and growth of internet TV. | Online subscription-based entertainment video market segment saturation| Brand awareness| Customer information could be accessed by unauthorized personnel. Future of the Consumer Electronic Ecosystem: â€Å"Internet on Every Screen†| Content providers refusing to license streaming content upon acceptable terms. | Largest collection of premium content. | Operational failure in any of the key systems. | International streaming segment represents a significant long-term growth| Changes in U. S. postal rates| Netflix is confident that expansion into more markets worldwide will help the business continue to grow. This is evident because Netfl ix cites its expansive reach as a major component of its success, as well as, an important factor in the company’s plan for the future.A goal promoted on the company’s investor relationship website is the intention to provide Netflix video streaming services to any and all screens with Internet connection. So far, the company has managed to reach subscribers in 40 countries while supplying a library of over one billion hours of video (Netflix). This wide reaching and easily available nature of this service has been the source of much of Netflix’ success since the company began. Based on the statements included with the Netflix financial releases, the company views an economic perspective of competitive advantage and the industry as a whole.This perspective is less focused on accounting ratios and data than the fundamental value-added philosophy. The main concern from this perspective is value creation. Netflix has added value to the videos they license by provid ing a convenient system for streaming the video to the end user and then made that system available to individuals worldwide. The availability of Netflix in so many areas is the primary method being utilized to capture the value already created by the working system born here in the United States. Netflix holds a primary concern in the continuous presence in the technologically developing areas of the world.In these areas, the economic value added to videos is great. Far from electronic stores and Hollywood, the ease and convenience of Netflix video providing service becomes more and more significant. Netflix respects this philosophy and has responded by continuing to advance into new areas around the globe (Netflix). Triple Bottom Line Netflix has differentiated itself from the competition in both video streaming and rental. Netflix began by changing the video rental market. It entered the industry with the plan to dispense movies across America directly to its subscribers’ homes.Not long after, Netflix began adding on online method of viewing video instantly. According to the company website, members can play; pause; and resume watching, all without commercials or interruptions. There are many video-streaming services available, most of which are free. Hardly any competitor can match Netflix’ boast of no commercials because of their reliance on ad stream revenue. Netflix also differentiates itself in that the software remembers your video selections. With this memory of video selections, it can then recommend new videos that you have not seen.The most notable form of differentiation in the video streaming industry is exclusivity. This deals with what video is actually viewable by the users. The provider makes video available legally by contracting with the rights holders of the videos. This severely limits free services already available because they centralize their business model on revenue through advertising. This issue may provide Netflix with its biggest advantage. Because Netflix charges its members a subscription cost, it can then use the greater funds to negotiate with video rights holders.While Netflix cannot be considered a cost leader when compared to the free video streaming services available, it still utilizes cost management to compete with other pay services that may try to enter the market and those already available. The company advertises that for one low monthly price, Netflix members can watch as much as they want, anytime and anywhere. This low monthly price is due to four factors. One, Netflix has already overcome the cost of input. This regards the substantial investment required to launch a video streaming program on a massive scale and complete negotiations with video rights holders.Two, Netflix is also developing its economy of scale. The Netflix streaming service is spreading into 40 countries, and each new market can be reached with already developed software and without having to invest in a completely new process. Three, Netflix is further along the learning curve than competitors. The company has been ironing out kinks in the video streaming process much longer than most competitors. Four, Netflix experience gives it a viable source of advantage against industry newcomers. Netflix’ competitive scope is very broad in the video streaming market.The company is working to reach any and all potential customers with an Internet connected screen. The American market is somewhat segmented between the more tech savvy video streamers and delivery service recipients. For its video streaming service, Netflix is approaching the market with a fast pace, expanding into most areas where internet is available. Netflix’ generic strategy is integration though it leans more towards service differentiation than cost leadership. It strays from a cost position due to the many free video providers already available online.However, other pay services have difficulty competing b ecause Netflix’ success with economies of scale and experience in the industry. Many factors differentiate the Netflix service from the rest of the market. These videos are available to members on-demand without commercials. Netflix also provides its members with video recommendations based on the customer’s past selections. Furthermore, Netflix has been successful at reaching more and more developing areas that are beginning to go online. In these areas, Netflix’ product has even more differentiation due to the low competitor presence.There are positives and negatives to the Netflix business strategy. The negatives begin with the cost of premium video rights. It is difficult to differentiate via better video because they will cost more to distribute. This causes trouble because it becomes a tradeoff between more exclusive video selection and cost management. All the while, free services are looming putting together more and more comparable video selections. The benefits of Netflix strategy stem from its heightened revenue when compared to competitors.Because Netflix charges members, it can spend more on rights to show videos, and its lack of advertising diminishes the threat posed by free services. With Netflix current cost structure, it can benefit greatly from spreading to the markets becoming available due to the expansion of the Internet. A key suggestion to made for improvement to Netflix’ business strategy would be to move along the productivity frontier towards differentiation and away from cost leadership. With a higher price, Netflix can provide better videos that are more exclusive.This is crucial in order to take advantage of the vulnerability of video limitation within the free video-streaming services. Netflix’ already industry-leading experience should put to use in maximizing the already unique service it provides. It is also possible that segmenting the video-streaming service could benefit the company by div ersifying its competitive position. Netflix could provide a free service, with commercials for revenue and limited video offerings. It could then simultaneously offer a low cost subscription with no commercials but limited video offerings.Its final offering could be a premium subscription with a higher price. This membership would benefit from the higher cost because it would have a greater variety of video offerings afforded by the new revenue. This option continues to differentiate Netflix’ service while still offering low cost options to the price conscious customer. It will be very important that any raise in subscription cost be met with identifiable upgrades to video selection in order to retain subscribers. Netflix Inc. is still very much in the growth stage of the ndustry life cycle. Currently the company seeks to expand operations in Latin American countries, Europe, and South America. Their international subscribers grew from 4. 3 million in the third quarter of las t year to 6. 1 million in the fourth quarter (Forbes, 2013). In fact, with all of the success overseas,  Netflix has actually started to slow their international expansion, so that they may better analyze new potential markets before officially entering. Netflix uses the advantages of its long tail business model to overcome problems like thin markets.Through online services, Netflix has risen above competitors like Blockbuster, with advantages like unlimited inventory space through digitization and its multiple process innovations (Parr, 2010). Including such advantages as being available on multiple platforms (mobile, Xbox, Apple TV, etc. ), and having the ability to quickly add or remove products from its database. The technology utilized by Netflix to stream its products to consumers on multiple platforms has expanded rapidly. The online streaming service from Netflix was introduced in 2007, and in 2010 Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy (Parr, 2010).The technology is so widespr ead and compatible a subscriber can view a program from their office computer, to their mobile phone, and then to their Blue-Ray player or tablet. The speed of diffusion in the movie/television industries was due to the advances in internet services, similar to what is occurring in the music and book industries. Netflix’ internet streaming service is currently the dominant technology on the industries S-curve today. The remainder of its DVD mail order service is in the decline stage, even though Netflix still holds on to that service.The biggest paradigm threat that  Netflix faces is the emergence of Redbox and the ability to stream movies and TV shows from other sources like HBO Go. Netflix has several trademarks and copyrights that it protects vigorously. Its advantages like online software and no late fees have given it quite the competitive advantage. Netflix has even filed a lawsuit against Blockbuster in recent years for copyright infringement of their new online serv ices (Sander, 2013). Vertical value chain: Stage 1 raw materials: Netflix receives most of its product through the production of outside film studios such as Warner Bros. Disney, Viacom media networks, DreamWorks classics, 20th television, Hasbro studios, Saban Brands, The Weinstein Company, Open Road films, Relative Media (Reuters, 2013). The contracts made with each studio provide Netflix with the physical inventory necessary to meet the demand of consumers, and the rights to digital streaming for its online services. Netflix also participates in this upstream activity through the production of their very own television series. Stage 2 Component and Intermediate Goods: Philips and Sony jointly manage the patent for optical media cd manufacturing (CD Manufacture, 2013).Although, in North America the patent is expired, so any cd production in Canada or the United States of America is not subject to license fees. However, worldwide the patent still applies, so licensing fees would ap ply on arrival to any merchandise shipped internationally where the patent is still in effect (CD Manufacturing, 2013). After acquiring DVD’s for the still remaining physical distribution side of the business, Netflix must then package the merchandise appropriately so that its logo and trademarks are clearly visible when received by consumers. Stage 3 Final Assembly:For Netflix this requires the challenge of taking its finished product and delivering it with convenience and ease to subscribers. Outbound logistics plays a major role for success in customer satisfaction. Netflix must keep executing well in the delivery of their physical products if it wishes to maintain a key provider in mail order services. Stage 4 Marketing and Sales: Netflix has several mediums it can use to reach consumers. Of these, television commercials, internet ads, newspaper/magazine ads, and even video game consoles are crucial ways Netflix reaches its consumers.Netflix also utilizes discounts as a w ay to attract new customers, mainly its one month free trial if offers to new users. Netflix is also implementing strategies where they are now starting to offer individual service so that customers may choose which service to pay for (Schneider, 2010). The new service will provide the option for consumers to choose between the DVD rental by mail or the online streaming services. Progress is still being made on a combination package for users that use both services. Stage 5 After-Sales service and support:For Netflix, service and support may be the most crucial part to maintaining its customer base. The challenge for Netflix lies in that it must provide service and support for two completely different services. For mail order customers, Netflix must provide expedient deliveries consistently and be able to handle issues such as lost deliveries and theft. Online streaming customers have their own range of service and support that is required to accommodate. For example, Netflix must h ave a wide selection readily available for its users, and it must constantly update their library with new material.Netflix must also rely on Amazon for this portion if their business since Netflix uses Amazon’s web services (AWS) for online streaming. Netflix has a unique vertically/horizontally disintegrated system. In the past Netflix has used several horizontal integrated techniques that have led to their success by acquiring multiple studio contracts and controlling industries that deal in video distribution (Schneider, 2010). It is dynamic in the sense that most of its products where manufactured, created, and marketed at some point through an outside entity.This creates a marketing advantage where several consumers already have developed favorites and genre preferences leaving Netflix with the task of compiling the merchandise needed for shipment related services and securing the rights with major film studios to stock their digital library for online subscribers on mu ltiple platforms. On the other hand, Netflix has begun to produce and provide some of its own programming, like their new hit series â€Å"House of Cards† (Funding Universe, 2013).This for many is ground breaking because it is the first television show to bypass the cable network system, and the entire first season is available for viewing instantly which is also unprecedented for a television series. It would seem that Netflix is moving to be more fully vertically integrated with the increase of success it is having from its own studios, but for the time being taper integration would apply with most of their digital products being produced from an outside source. The only acquisition that Netflix has had in the past 3 years is with a company that is named DreamBox Learning.Netflix has not been interested in growing based on acquisitions and mergers thus far in their venture. The acquisition of DreamBox Learning is thought to be a philanthropic move for Netflix due to this de al involving a partnership with the non-profit organization known as The Charter School Fund (Dreambox, 2010). Dream Box Learning is a company that makes interactive schooling software for kids of all ages. Netflix saw this as opportunity to distribute learning throughout school systems while also boosting the reputation of Netflix. The software is also in use for kids from kindergarten all the way thru the 12th grade.This investment made by Netflix gave DreamBox Learning the ability to reach more kids and wider range of students. Netflix has a couple over very strong strategic alliances; one of their top strategic alliances is with a company we all know very well, Apple. The availability of Netflix on the iPad and Iphones has helped Netflix gain more users who are looking to watch movies or download shows onto their devices. Along with these devices, Netflix is also available on the Apple TV device so that users are able to watch the movies directly through their TVs.Blackberry and RIM tried entering an alliance but were never able to finalize a deal. This would most likely hurt blackberry since the amount of recent users of Netflix is on the rise. Another strategic alliance you have probably seen with Netflix is the availability of it on your TV’s, DVD players and Blu-ray Players. These all work over hardwire or wifi network allowing you to view movies and shows via the Internet through your TV and or players. Netflix has done this to gain the people who do not want to wait on the videos to reach them through the mail.This is the latest technology which includes smart TV’s and Blu-ray players which both have apps pre installed on them so all you have to do is hook them up to an internet connection and you are able to view the movies or shows that you would like (HD TV Test, 2012). This was a great opportunity for Netflix to enter the apps game and really push them to the top. This alliance has defiantly helped Netflix get to their goal of milli ons of users by making it easier to get the movies right in your home without having to wait.As the TV prices have dropped recently and more people buying smart TVs this was a great move for Netflix to really get their name out to the people who had not previously used them. Netflix does not seem to be a company who has an alliance management origination but is just looking at technology and developing ways to enter the market all the time. They are always looking for new and improved ways to get the product into the hands of their users more effectively and efficiently. Netflix is a company that has spread its seed internationally they just recently expanded into Latin America.This was their first international release of Netflix and has proven to be a hard market to corner because of the competition that is out there (LA Times, 2012). Since then they have now emerged in countries such as Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. They have also reached out to people in Canada, Ireland, and Great Britain. These markets, which already have companies supplying them with videos on demand, have proven to be harder for Netflix than originally anticipated. Is this going to discourage Netflix from entering the market in other countries is the biggest question people are asking right now.Growth in these regions has been slower for Netflix than anticipated and they are currently looking into new ways to distribute their videos in these countries. One of the main problems that Netflix has had in Latin America is that some of the DVDs were not carrying subtitles, making it undesirable for people to rent. In order to compete with their competitors in this market Netflix now makes sure that all of the movies or shows being distributed in Latin America have subtitles. So far, in Canada, Ireland, and Great Britain Netflix has been successful and is looking to spread out across Europe.The next question you ask yourself while doing research is how is Netflix going to reach the mar ket of China or Japan or when are they going to try. According to research, the time has not been much insight as to whether Netflix will even attempt to enter these markets. Just recently, the Chinese government launched a video service much like Netflix (Reuters, 2012). Trying to compete with the Chinese government is really going to be difficult and this might be one reasons that Netflix has decided not to enter those markets.Netflix is using an International Strategy based on the fact they have to have movies in different languages or with sub titles in order to reach these markets. They are doing their best to make sure that every market they enter is going to be a successful journey. This one of the main reasons people have stated they have yet to enter both the Japanese or Chinese markets due to the control the government has over what is entering their markets. The strategy has proven to be effective for Netflix and they have succeeded in the countries they have entered.The changes they have had to make in the markets show their willingness to succeed and just how driven Netflix really is. Netflix currently has two separate services that are DVD’s by mail and the online streaming of movies and shows. As of the fourth quarter of 2012, Netflix had 27. 15 million subscribers worldwide. Revenues for the Online streaming service were $589 million and $254 million for DVD’s by mail. However, the contribution profit/loss for the online streaming service was $-105 million and $125 million for DVD’s by mail.While the online streaming service brings in more revenue for Netflix, the costs of operating it surpass those of the DVD service. The DVD service has fixed costs, while the online streaming service must negotiate licenses with each individual company on a case-by-case basis. With this knowledge, it is obvious that Netflix must make a strategic change in order for the company to have a long life. The major issue the subscribers have with the online streaming service of Netflix is that it does not offer newer releases.If Netflix were to offer newer releases then they could then charge higher prices with justification and make more of a profit on the online streaming service. Considering the major competitors such as, Redbox and Amazon already offer newer releases, Netflix would need to make this change within the next year or they could go out of business. Netflix is collaborating with major media companies such as, Paramount Pictures, Lions Gate, and MGM, so they would be able to work out a deal with them in order to enact this change.Netflix has released statements about making this change and they say they do not want to offer newer releases and follow their competition (Daily Finance, 2012). The culture and values of the company is to have their low monthly rate of $7. 99 for unlimited streaming and they do not want to drive away potential customers by increasing the prices. An alternative for increasing the ove rall price would be to have tiered pricing where they can keep the original price but also have an option for newer releases plus the originals for either $8. 99 or $9. 99.This way they could still say that their prices start at $7. 99. This change could increase profits and bring in more subscribers. The resources that Netflix would need would be to have the rights to the majority of the new releases and the media companies, which is already in place. They have deals with some of the most known media companies in the business, so this would not be a problem for them. In addition, there would not need to be any new policies or procedures in order to implement this change. There are seven members on the Board of Directors, two of which are women.There are no minorities on the board. The CEO, Reed Hastings, is also the chairman and has been since inception. The largest direct shareholders of Netflix are all of the people on the Board of Directors. However, the largest institutional ho lders include Icahn, Vanguard, and Goldman Sachs. One of the latest legal issues Netflix has had has been a privacy violation of its customers. There was a class action lawsuit against the company because they were disclosing records of what the customers were watching. This is an ethical issue for the company considering it deals with a violation of privacy.Netflix made a $9 million settlement which resulted in a 14% decrease in the net income for the fourth quarter of 2012. The CEO, Reed Hastings, is not a Level 5 manager. He does not make good strategic decisions for the company or for the customers considering he is not willing to offer newer releases, which could eventually be what saves Netflix in the end. After all that has been discussed about Netflix, I would not invest in the company because the company could potentially not survive the next five years. Works Cited Company Overview: Management. (n. d. . Netflix. Retrieved March 8, 2013. https://signup. netflix. com/MediaCe nter/Management Company Overview: Netflix Timeline. (n. d. ). Netflix. Retrieved March 8, 2013. https://signup. netflix. com/MediaCenter/Timeline Yahoo! Finance Inc, NFLX: Summary for Netflix, Inc. – Yahoo! Finance. (n. d. ). Business Finance, Stock Market, Quotes, News. Retrieved March 8, 2013. http://finance. yahoo. com/q? s=NFLX SEC Filings (Form 10-K). (n. d. ). Investor Relations: Netflix, Inc. Retrieved March 5, 2013. http://ir. netflix. com/sec. cfm Top Reasons to Work at Netflix. n. d. ). Netflix Jobs. Retrieved March 8, 2013. jobs. netflix. com/jobs. html Munarriz, R. (n. d. ). Netflix: No, We Won't Stream New Releases – DailyFinance. DailyFinance – News and Advice for a Lifetime of Financial Decisions. Retrieved April 14, 2013, from http://www. dailyfinance. com/2012/12/24/netflix-no-we-wont-stream-new-releases/ DreamBox Learning Acquired by Charter Fund in Partnership with Education Philanthropist and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings | DreamBox Learning ®. (2010, April 20). Intelligent Adaptive Learningâ„ ¢ | DreamBox Learning ®.Retrieved April 14, 2013, from  http://www. dreambox. com/press-release-20100420 Fritz, B. (2012, May 16). Netflix faces problems in Latin America – Los Angeles Times. Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 14, 2013, from  http://articles. latimes. com/2012/may/16/entertainment/la-et-ct-netflix-latin-america20120516 Monday, R. C. , 2012, 1. J. , ; BST  , 1. p. (n. d. ). Netflix App Debuts On Samsung Smart TV Apps Store. TV Reviews – Best LED LCD, 3D Plasma ; Smart TVs. Retrieved April 14, 2013, from  http://www. hdtvtest. o. uk/news/netflix-app-samsung-smart-tv-201201161616. htm Zeidler, S. , ; Grover, R. (2012, June 28). China to launch Netflix-like movie service| Reuters. Business News – Indian Stock Market, Stock Market News, Business ; Finance, Market Statistics | Reuters India. Retrieved April 14, 2013, from http://in. reuters. com/article/2012/06/ 28/hollywood-china-jiaflix-idINL2E8HP1F420120628 â€Å"CD Manufacturing | Audio CD Manufacturing | CD Manufacturers | Music CD Manufacturing | CD Glass Mastering | Glass Mastered CDs | CD Pressing Services. CD Manufacturing | Audio CD Manufacturing | CD Manufacturers | Music CD Manufacturing | CD Glass Mastering | Glass Mastered CDs | CD Pressing Services. N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. . FundingUniverse. â€Å"History of Netflix, Inc. â€Å" FundingUniverse. † Find Funding with Banks, Investors, and Other Funding Sources | FundingUniverse. N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. . Parr, Ben. â€Å"The Fall of Blockbuster; the Rise of Netflix,

How Important is Discipline in Society? Essay

Among those who work in difficult or dangerous jobs, for example in coal mines, there is often a discipline that comes not from being subject to the will of any person, however rational and well-intentioned, but from the work itself. If it is to be done successfully and with the minimum danger and discomfort to all those engaged in it, certain procedures must be followed and safeguards observed. Since the workers can see that the nature of the work demands this, there is correspondingly less need for discipline to be imposed on them by some other agency. This is an ideal situation, as far as discipline is concerned: where the discipline is inherent in the work or activity, and where rules and procedures are followed because they are perceived as appropriate if the work is to be done. In the same kind of way it does happen, and fortunately not all that rarely, that a society appears collectively to embrace the idea that behaving within the legal confines is in the public’s interest, and that if they are to be law-abiding, then various routines, such as remaining content with earning one’s own keep and not committing fraud, have to be kept to. How can â€Å"discipline† be defined? Some would reserve the word for the following of rules because the rules are seen appropriate to the task in hand, and would apply the adjective â€Å"disciplined† to the abovementioned society but not to another one which has been brought to order by some external force such as the government’s threats of punishment. Others take a more holistic view of discipline in which it is perfectly proper to speak of one person or group of persons being â€Å"disciplined† by another’s imposition of authority. It would be pointless to stipulate that the word should be used in one way or another. However, I wish to stress that whatever words we use, there are clearly differences among the following three cases: one, where we follow rules willingly because we perceive them as right or appropriate; two, where we follow them under manipulative coercion, such as when we are persuaded that there is no alternative to the rules; and three, where we follow them under what may be called punitive coercion, being threatened with punishment or in general some unpleasant consequences if we do not. In a narrow view of things, many of mankind’s achievements in education,  economics, culture, athletics and science can be attributed to the persistence of disciplined, and often self-motivated, individuals. Sterling examples would include Archimedes, the great mathematician, who before being killed by a Roman soldier was drawing symbols in sand; Marie Curie who dedicated her widowed years in continuing research in radioactivity and eventually died of a radiation-triggered illness; and Siddhartha Gautama who exercised strict discipline over himself to mediate under the pipal tree and eventually achieved enlightenment. Even in Singapore, we see a most disciplined mountaineer in Mr. Khoo Swee Chiow who genuinely believes in his cause. However, discipline in the populace would assume greater significance if we consider its polar opposite: civil disobedience, or the taking of a token action in defiance of the law for the purpose of changing the law. Those who act in a civilly disobedient manner have no respect for law (whereas discipline is the manifestation of a respect for law). It is impossible to have a law that authorises individuals to violate it. Respect for law is essential for any system to function. An effective system of law is possible only when appeals cannot be made to principles outside the legal system. Civil disobedients determine for themselves what laws to obey and what laws to violate. Without law, there will only be chaos as each individual and group decides unilaterally what is right. The victims in such a lawless society will probably be many of the very same people who argue so adamantly for the right of civil disobedience, namely, the advocates of civil rights, social justice, and peace. If one group can decide for itself which laws to obey, so too will other groups. A system of law protects all groups in society. Without it, anarchy prevails, discussion ceases and violence begins. Therefore, discipline is a form of civilly responsible behaviour which helps maintain social order and contributes to the preservation, if not advancement, of collective interests of society at large. Having said that, a society whose members are too self-disciplined to ever become civilly disobedient is likely to be a stagnant one. On the other hand, civil disobedience may be good in the sense that a tolerance of it strengthens democracy. For a system to be democratic, it must have broad  support among diverse elements of society. The processes of a representative democracy (with a system of representative government based on free elections and a system of limitations on state activity) work slowly, and often groups become disenchanted with the slow responsiveness of government. Groups subjected to discrimination or injustice cannot be expected to rely exclusively on constitutional processes, while remedies take years to be instituted. Faced with the problems deeply felt by a group, its leaders must have an alternative to dissent or resistance. In the 1960s, for example, black people in America felt that the processes of change, particularly social and economic change, were moving too slowly to produce tangible benefits. Most of them rejected extremist solutions as unsuitable for democracy but saw in civil disobedience a remedy that would allow them to accept the legitimacy of the system. Hence Martin Luther King’s policy of direct action – the taking of non-violent measures like boycotts and sit-ins – which was based on the necessity of violating unjust laws. Here, acts of civil disobedience were justified because racial segregation by law is morally reprehensible. Another of the twentieth century’s great proponents of civil disobedience was Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Indian leader. His policy of satyagraha (literally â€Å"firmness in the truth†) was often equated with passive resistance. He urged his partisans to take peaceful acts, such as marches and boycotts to achieve the independence of India from British colonial rule. Gandhi became famous for his hunger strikes and for other acts of non-violence. One of his tactics was to have his followers lie down on railroad tracks, thus preventing trains from moving. By taking such peaceful acts of civil disobedience, Gandhi contributed to the movement – both in India and in Great Britain – for the independence of his country. Although not sanctified by law, civil disobedients can strengthen democratic institutions because they channel their energies in directions that a broader segment would ultimately accept – the abolition of slavery and segregation laws, the expression of civil rights, the establishment of nation independence, and the promotion of peace. They bring about positive  social changes. Returning to the three cases I highlighted in the second paragraph, it seems clear enough that the first case, whether or not we call it â€Å"discipline†, is what any government would prefer to find in its people. After all, it guarantees smooth implementation of even the most unpopular laws and in extreme cases, enables social engineering to be carried out. The question is what we are to do when this ideal breaks down or has no chance to develop. What course of action can governments take to bring about the order necessary for the smooth running of society, and indeed for civilised relationsh ips in general, to take place? More than often, governments ensure discipline in the people by instituting a legal system. Undoubtedly, a legal system is a specialised system of rules, distinct from moral rules, which at the least provides a framework in which individual behaviour can be in some sense regulated and an element in certainty guaranteed, and which at the very most may provide a comprehensive framework of regulations covering nearly all aspects of the individual’s life. To discuss the importance of discipline, or rather disciplinary action, in society, we would need to validate the existence of legal systems. It is true that some political philosophers have toyed with the idea of the possibility of social order without law: indeed, the first major work on this subject, Plato’s Republic, describes a lawless utopia in which the free play of the intelligence of the philosopher-kings is allowed to proceed untrammelled by legal restraints. Also, Karl Marx’s future classless society would be free from the restraints of civil and criminal law because those very factors that give rise to the need for law – the institution of money, the social division of labour and the system of private property – would have been removed. What unites all the differing â€Å"lawless† utopias is the requirement that these desirable states of affairs can only be brought about by a fundamental change in human nature. Marx, for instance, stresses that the abolition of the social division of labour associated with the bourgeois mode of production would entail a change in human nature. Yet the most elementary of human nature would make these interpretations fantastically optimistic because it seems to indicate the necessity for some rules, many of which are bound to be backed by organised sanctions (these will come to  be known as â€Å"laws†). Other political theorists, perhaps with a less elevated view of human potential, have argued that individuals have found the best form of protection in the existence of general rules of conduct binding on all. It is ironic that in his Laws, a much later work, Plato describes a society under the rule of law. Many commentators have understood this striking change in viewpoint as a capitulation to hard facts. If so, the facts may be no more compelling than that a wise ruler can be effective only through the promulgation of general regulations. No ruler of a large society could make every critical decision and transmit it rapidly through the populace. The best one can do is to define general limits within which individual citizens make their own decisions. Likewise, in practice, Communist regimes have maintained some sort of court system. Indeed, as the dream of a stateless, coercionless society faded, the notion of â€Å"legality† crept back into Soviet jurisprudence. Constitution law was revived and made consistent with socialism; and even some Western legal concepts and practices which would previously have been denounced as bourgeois reappeared in the later development of the Soviet legal system. Thus there was a legal order in the Soviet system. From these illustrations, it becomes more difficult to conceive of a society in which the people are not disciplined by laws. A system of law provides three qualities for social life: stability, uniformity and cooperation. The type of social stability that law provides is reliability of expectation. When established laws exist, citizens know what they can expect from their fellow citizens and government officials. Criminal law is a system of rules that provides means for the apprehension of individuals who break the law and that circumscribe the procedures that the government must follow in arrest and seizure. Civil law defines the procedures required for legal status with respect to property, contracts, marriages and many other relations among individuals and institutions. To a great extent, the more persuasive is law throughout a society, and the more are social relations regulated by it, the more stable is the society and the more reliable are expectations of members of the society as to how others will act if they respect the law. The greatest virtue of law is that it  achieves an explicitness frequently absent from other regions of social life, say custom, preventing arbitrariness and caprice and making clear what is demanded of individuals. Next, the fundamental and persuasive feature of law is its promulgation of a general rule binding equally on everyone who fits the conditions prescribed. The principle that everyone is equal before the law is inherent in all laws, not just in a democracy. Uniformity is important for stability, cooperation and fairness. It expresses the heart of the principle of equality before the law. A stable society requires uniform procedures for regulating activities and for rectifying imbalances. Citizens must be informed by formal legislation that activities are prescribed and proscribed. Where cooperation throughout large groups and regions is pursued, stable and reliable expectations are required. Vehicle drivers cooperate at road junctions through the laws that regulate left of way. Finally, the urge towards fairness shared by everyone, even those who reject some laws, requires implementation in laws if it is to be effective. Thirdly, a society can be beneficial to its members only where it achieves cooperation among them. If all activities were wholly individual within a society, the society would exact the usual price for social life from its members without compensating benefits. Law provides a necessary organisational and structural force in cooperative ventures. Exchange and possession of property could not be as smooth as they are in many countries without rules regulating the flow of money, procedures for the exchange of property and so forth. The most obvious characteristic of laws is that they are enforced, involving the police, courts of laws, punishments and penal institutions. I accept that the general justifying aim punishment is to secure greater obedience to laws and rules by deterring offenders, both potential repeat offenders and those who so far have not offended but might if not deterred. If this seems too obvious a statement to be worth making, I do so at this point because different opinions have been offered, such as that the general purpose of punishment is to reform offenders, or to visit retribution on them or to  reveal the moral order. Judicial punishment is incurred for an offence against laws or rules, which can be inspected in statute books. The connection is that when a person can know in advance, because rules have been published, what he is liable to be punished for, it is possible for him to exercise the choice and live in the security that are supposed to be the advantages of order being maintained through punishment rather than manipulation or sophisticated bullying. Thus punishment is supposed to have the merit of respecting the individual’s responsibility, of giving him the choice of whether to offend and to pay the price or observe the rule and preserve his freedom, so conferring the benefit that he is in charge, in this respect at least, of his own life and destiny. To insist that it is precisely where matters of importance are concerned that people must be given significant responsibility may seem strange in the context of punishment, for what we want to do is to prevent crimes and offences, not leave people with the choice of whether to commit them or not. Punishments are not simply a scheme of fines and restrictions designed to put a price on certain forms of conducts; it would be far better if the acts proscribed by penal statutes were never done. The point of punishment is that while it aims to prevent offences, it does this in a way that leaves room for other principles and goods that we value, which a more simple-minded, draconian system of preventing offences would not. More is at stake than the maintenance of laws at their most efficacious level: if that were all we wanted, we would behave very differently. We might, for example, take measures to isolate or even exterminate those sections or age groups of the population statistically most likely to commit crimes and would no doubt institute curfews. Yet we have reservations about measures such as these because as well as freedom from crimes, we value other things like freedom of speech, of movement and association. In this light, punishment as a means of discipline is important in society. At the same time, this importance can be diminished in the view of the adverse effects of law and punishment. The value of law is so great and the reverence for law becomes so overpowering that it may become self-stultifying and destructive. Laws can make a society become too stable  and inflexible, incapable of adapting to new conditions. The laws of a society may represent social relations long out of date, promoting oppression and invasion of privacy. Law may impose too great a uniformity upon society, stifling creativity, originality, human variation and cultural heterogeneity. When the faults of law intrude, people become desperate. When injustices prevail within the ruling system of injustice, when society becomes too uniform, inflexible and oppressive, law can be viewed as an intractable evil. When the prevailing legal system is held up as worthy because it is the law, no matter how oppressive and unjust, people lose their respect for law without knowing any alternative. The most pernicious danger is that respect for law may be imposed and not earned, and may be assumed even when the law is unjust. Then we have the hidden oppression of Kafka’s â€Å"The Trial†, in which a man suffers under a system of Law that accuses and trials him but never explains why. That system should not merit such respect and must instead be condemned. In conclusion, I view discipline exercised by and over the populace as important in society; however, it should co-exist with an active civil voice. Can discipline be maintained by means other than law and punishment? Liberal-rationalists distinguish rule-governed behaviour from habitual behaviour on the premise that the former involves â€Å"internalisation†. A rule is internalised when it is understood by the participants in a social practice as indicating a right and wrong way of doing things. Unlike the carefully trained animal in the zoo who follows the keeper’s instructions automatically, individuals who are guided by rules regard them as expressing meaningful standards of behaviour. Furthermore, rules entail the idea of choice for, unlike well-trained animals, humans may disobey rules. Sanctions are needed to cope with the minority of rule-breakers but this does not mean that sanctions can replace internalisation as the guarantor of regularised behaviour. This concept of â€Å"internalisation† is reminiscent of Confucius’ teachings: â€Å"Guide them by the edicts, keep them in line with punishments, and the  common people will stay out of trouble but will have no sense of shame. Guide them by virtue, keep them in line with the rites, and they will, besides having a sense of shame, reform themselves.†

Monday, July 29, 2019

Operations Management Principles-Phase 1 DB Essay

Operations Management Principles-Phase 1 DB - Essay Example This makes today’s customer more sophisticated in terms of tastes and preferences. Customers have come to demand the value of their money in relation to quality and other critical features of products or services. Recent research shows a massive growth in numbers of people complaining about poor services or faulty goods as well as being more assertive and willing to take action against companies (CIM, 2003). Customer complains may range from faulty goods or inadequate services. Thus there is the need to realize we are operating in a more competitive and litigious environment where our company must respond to customer complains. Research also indicates that it is far easier and cheaper to retain current customers than it is to cultivate new ones (Wilmshurst J. & Mackay A, 1999). Moreover, research shows that dissatisfied customers tend to spread the news of their bad experiences very quickly – something that will affect not only our company image, but also risk loosing sales in the long run. There need for the company to develop a strategy that must effectively deal with customer complains for us to achieve growth and sustainability in the industry and take market leadership. For the purpose of establishing practical steps in establishing a customer complaints program, I will use steps established by Wilmshurst, J. and Mackay, A 1999 in their book The Fundamentals of Advertising, which suggest identification of customer needs and perception as first step. Our company must clearly establish what these are and how our customer care department needs to be designed to meet them (Wilmshurst J. & Mackay A, 1999). Secondly, we need to establish a mission statement that is widely accepted for the approach of customer care. Thirdly, our company must clearly set standards and specifications, such as standard for courtesy, credibility, communication, responsiveness, empathy with customer and confidentiality. Fourthly, we

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Objects and Non-Traditional Media in Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Objects and Non-Traditional Media in Art - Essay Example This trend continued into the 19th century as Vincent Van Gogh experimented with impression, and well into the 20th century, as artists such as Pablo Picasso and later Jackson Pollock revolutionized the medium through increasing forays into abstract modes of expression (Gombrich, 1994). While the subject matter of these visual works greatly changed over time, their overriding medium remained largely constant. Through conceptual and minimalist movements, art in the second half of the 20th century began to step outside the canvas-painting trend (Osbourne 2011). Today artists regularly use or manipulate objects and non-traditional media in creating art. Through a consideration of intentions and methods, this essay examines artists’ implementations of such objects and non-traditional media. Perhaps the 20th century’s most prominent non-traditional medium is assemblage art. This specific art form establishes two or three-dimensional art forms by combining found objects (Lock hart 2010). In better understanding the structural nature of this art, one considers that its parallel in literature is stories or novels formed from already existing texts (Lockhart 2010). While assemblage art forms date to as early as Picasso’s early 20th century cubist constructions, the term was first articulated in the 1950s after Jean Dubuffet’s work ‘assemblages d'empreintes’ (Lockhart 2010). ... While assemblage art refers to a specific type of non-traditional production, one also considers the implications of transcending mainstream modes of artistic expression. In gaining interpretive insight into such an event, it is necessary to step outside traditional art criticism into perspectives that analyze the broader media. One of the most seminal such perspectives in this arena is that of Marshall McLuhan. McLuhan (1964) argued that the medium is the message. While such a statement makes a variety of complex arguments, one element is that the very nature of the medium necessitates shifts in meaning. When such a perspective is extended to artists working in non-traditional mediums, one comes to recognize that such expression not only functions as a means of the artist creating a unique work, but is necessary to capture the increasingly complex cultural signs operating within modern social contexts. It will be seen that the central thorough-put in assemblage and non-traditional a rt is an effort to codify and comment on this complexity. When considering the use of non-traditional forms of expression one of the seminal early assemblage artists is Joseph Cornell. Cornell’s work largely was created around the mid-20th century, paving the way for future forays into assemblage (Soloman 1996). While the Cornell’s exact motivation for venturing into non-traditional mediums is unknown, today his work carries with it a haunting, yet characteristic aesthetic (Soloman 1996). Cornell’s work mainly centered on small boxes that he would meticulously fill and arrange with objects. Fig. 1 below is an image of Cornell’s 1950 work ‘Planet Set.’ From observation one recognizes the highly uncharacteristic and unique assemblage of

Saturday, July 27, 2019

The Most Effective Way of Looking at the Health Essay

The Most Effective Way of Looking at the Health - Essay Example Usually, the main causes of morbidity are the likely combinations of biochemical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors. Studies in England have shown that this type of illness is a disorder of the brain. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a brain-imaging device had shown that the brains of people with depression are different than those without depression. How is the health care system of England delivered to its people? A health care system is a group of people organized to provide health care services to the people who are part of it. England’s National Health Service (NHS) is considered to be its publicly funded health care system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Health_Service).   It has also been a separate system from the other national health systems which are also operating in England. The NHS has been active in providing the people with healthcare including primary care, in-patient care, dentistry, and ophthalmology. On July 1948, the National Health Service Act 1946 became effective thus NHS has become an essential system for the majority of the British people. Although private care has still been operating in this country, paid by most private insurance companies, yet, a large percentage of the British population are mainly using the services the NHS provided. Because NHS is funded by England’s Department of Health, it further provides the majority of the necessary th ings concerning a patient’s health free of charge. People with permanent disabilities and low income are usually the ones who are provided with 100% services free of charge. Around 86% of prescriptions are covered free for the others.               Because of England’s NHS, the people will receive immediate attention where health is concerned. In fact, among all countries, British people can be considered lucky to receive such health care services for free. Although the death of a person is a natural event, the presence of health care services could be considered as one of the great things that could prevent a person’s untimely death. Regardless of whether a person may or may not die on an exact date, at least, there are people who are doing their best to save one’s life.  Ã‚  

Friday, July 26, 2019

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE PLAN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE PLAN - Assignment Example In evaluating the implementation of a new project or delivery method in an organization, what would be the critical data sources you would use to measure the financial outcomes? In evaluating the implementation of a new project or delivery method in an organization, the best critical data sources one would use to measure the financial outcomes are the balance sheet and income statement, especially in the health care organization. Steven Berger (2007) theorizes the financial analyst can compare the variance between the financial statements indicated as prior to the implementation of the new project or delivery in an organization and the financial statemetns indicated as after the implementation of the new project or delivery in an organization. For example, the financial analyst will determine if the health care organisaton’s sales had increased after the implementation of a new project or delivery method by comparing such sales with the sales generated before the implementatio n of the new project or delivery method. An increase in the sales will indicate the change was beneficial to the health care organization.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Canadas Amnesty International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Canadas Amnesty International - Essay Example The international group’s basis is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as other human rights policies, statutes, and benchmarks. Canada’s AI harnesses the available global resources and ensures nations will increase implementation of the human rights of the nations’ inhabitants. The Canadian AI group espouses equality. Equality includes offering equal opportunities to persons of different classes to achieve their goals and dreams in life. Equality includes offering equal chances to individuals from different races to prosper in life. The council supervises the International executive committee. There are more than 80 AI offices strategically located in many countries around the world (Clark, 2010). Furthermore, the AI’s Canada Branch has its local executive committee. The committee oversees the Montreal branch and the Ottawa branch. The branch has more than 79,999 members. The group advocates for better treatment of prisoners. AI –Canada was able to gather more than $11,250,000 funds during 2011 alone. An estimated 44 percent of the money was funneled to the conducting of researches, missions, and reports, worldwide campaigns, trial observers, and helping other global agencies such as the United Nations achieve their own set of predefined goals and objectives. The key ingredients to AI’s Canadian branches are open membership, measurable goals, program evaluations, evolution, and efficiency-related itineraries (Clark, 2010). Race. In the workforce, one article states that the nonwhite workers greatly suffered from work discrimination policies (Baines, 2008). The work responsibilities were normally classified as white jobs and non-white jobs. AI should increase its current efforts to reduce human rights abuses. For example, the AI must focus on reversing the race issue covering up the issue of job title or job responsibilities (Clark, 2010).

Professional development, learning how to deliver Sport Education Assignment

Professional development, learning how to deliver Sport Education model - Assignment Example This study reviews all significant literature that is available in this field of professional development through sports education. The need to understand the impact of sports education on students is incomplete without a thorough understanding of how the education is provided to students in the first place. In a study to understand teaching processes, Curtner-Smith et al (2008), ran an experimental survey by interviewing six American and four British beginner level teachers of sports education. The paper is titled, â€Å"Influence of occupational socialization on beginning teachers’ interpretation and delivery of sport education†. The theoretical framework used to determine the course of action in the experimental study was the process of teachers engaging in sports education at the beginner’s level and then growing to become senior level instructors in one or more sports. To chart the journey of a teacher as he takes his job as a sports education provider seriously over PETE programmer, the different questions asked during the interview were based on three different phases of professional socialization which were acculturation, professional socialization and organizational socialization. The results found were based on all the here factors and would be considered influenced by organizational factors. The teachers were given individual space and interviewed one by one. Individual opinions were noted down and the data was collected from their comments, replies and observations. The procedures employed in the analysis included constant comparison and analytical induction. Most questions that were asked in the survey were directed towards assessing the level of occupational socialization and mode of teaching of sports education to students, which these teachers adopted. It was found that sports education was imparted to students in one of the three forms, namely, watered down version, cafeteria style and full version. The choice of teaching mode

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Environmental Forces Affecting B&Q In The UK Essay

Environmental Forces Affecting B&Q In The UK - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the performance of a major competitor of UK’s home improvement retail industry: B&Q. The particular organization has achieved to acquire a large share of the particular market, as analyzed below. Still, concerns exist in regard to the firm’s ability to keep its profitability high in the long term. The firm’s macro environment has been reviewed and evaluated using an appropriate strategic management tool, the PESTEL analysis. At the same time, an internal micro analysis has taken place for checking the potentials of the organization to manage risks related to its daily operations and to stabilize its profitability. It has been made clear that the power of B&Q to achieve a long term growth cannot be guaranteed, especially since the UK economy is not stabilized. A strategy is proposed for helping the organization to face the external forces related to the particular market and to respond to the needs of its changing environment.In order to u nderstand the environmental forces that affect B&Q it would be necessary to understand the characteristics of these forces, as they are related to the operations of the particular organization. In general, the term macro-environment is used for describing a firm’s â€Å"external forces and agencies† (Reynolds and Lancaste 2012, p.32). The most popular strategic tool for evaluating a firm’s macro environment is PESTEL analysis (Cunningham and Harney 2012). ... The most popular strategic tool for evaluating a firm’s macro environment is PESTEL analysis (Cunningham and Harney 2012). When using PESTEL analysis for explaining a firm’s macro environment it should be necessary to take into consideration the following fact: not all parts of this framework will equally influence the relationship between the firm and its external environment (Cunningham and Harney 2012). Reference can be made to the following example: for pharmaceutical firms patents will have a key importance for measuring these firms’ potentials to face their external forces (Cunningham and Harney 2012). In the case of firms operating in the services industry emphasis should be given on demographics, as a factor that will influence the relationship between these firms and their external environment (Cunningham and Harney 2012). The PESTEL analysis refers to the macro environment of organizations. It should be noted that the particular framework helps to ident ify the factors that affect â€Å"the whole economy and not only a particular organization† (Bowhill 2008, p.331). In the context of the PESTEL analysis the macro environment of B&Q could be analyzed as follows: a) Political; the political environment of UK is quite stable. The current government has tried to enhance the stability of the economy by keeping inflation low, at least compared to other countries (Wood 2011). It should be noted that no threats seem to exist for potential turbulences in the UK political sector (Wood 2011). As a result, B&Q would not be threatened by the specific element, i.e. the political framework, of its macro environment. Still, the challenges that the

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Multimedia System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multimedia System - Research Paper Example So we can say that multimedia is exhibition of some form of information in any format. This can also be taken as the presenting information by means of numerous dissimilar techniques to obtain across those ideas (Multimedia Product development, 2009). Some years ago, purchasing a multimedia product for a computer was a pretty complex task, on the other hand for the reason that of the marvelous enlargement of multimedia applications, the majority of computers that we purchase nowadays are previously intended to execute and run multimedia products and applications. If we want to develop a multimedia sample or applications then we need a more powerful computer system. If we do not have such machine then its productivity will be lost, but now the majority of people having more powerful machines as compared to 10 years ago computers (Henke et al, 2000). The practice of development of a multimodal product encompasses a comprehensive planning for the over development process. In this circumstances we have to pay more attention regarding the way and tools we have, and which we adopt for the development of the system (Multimedia Product development, 2009). This research is aimed at discussing this development process and its main aspects. This section will discuss about the main aspect of multimedia planning process and events. Successfully developing as well as delivering a multimedia product or applications necessitates an additional powerful PC, very good designing qualities, effective programming knowledge and most important a creative mind. Though, if formation of high-end multimedia product is our objective, then we definitely need to consider positive circumstance that has been recognized particularly for multimedia product development (Henke et al, 2000). Storyboard is the basic step in every type of multimedia product development. In this first phase of the multimedia product development we build up and design a

Monday, July 22, 2019

Power and Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Power and Knowledge Essay Poststructuralism as one of the contemporary political philosophy gain its popularity because of its radical assumptions that veered away from the traditional structuralist thinking. The project of the renaissance scholars to control everything including nature through the used of knowledge particularly scientific knowledge did not gain much fame in this late century. Structuralism although it offers much in looking how institutions served as parts of a social system tend to believe that society could control the individual with the aid of science. However, the ideas of Jean Lyotard, Michel Foucault and Jean-Luc Nancy proved otherwise. The dream of grand theorists to integrate knowledge and create a unified social system is the very idea that most contemporary theorists avoid. Prior to the development of poststructuralism, discussion on power and knowledge is always a feature seen within the structures and not something that emanates from the individual, this structure-agency pendulum continues to fascinate theorists. Structural functionalists believed that social structures such as religion, culture, and government have strong hold over the individual particularly in their socialization process. Talcott Parsons (1951) for instance, look society as the social system divided by subsystems that have specific functions. Each part of society functions and creates mutual interdependence thus maintaining the dynamism of whole social system(Parsons: 1951). The Contemporary political philosophy opens a lot of venues in analyzing society with proposing meta narratives. Much of the themes of contemporary thinkers would be on the consequences of modernity, globalization among others. Topics on power and knowledge are just two of the basic issues that philosophers continuously are gaining interest. It provides a picture on how the development of knowledge transformed power relations in contemporary society. Contemporary political philosophy as it is advanced by the writings of three philosophers mentioned in the previous paragraph, look at power and knowledge in a different light. Before, the scholars would think that the development of knowledge is in a continuum and that power is exerted by institutions to the individual as if power has a center or a fixed point. In Contemporary political philosophy one can view that the source of power comes from various agencies,and the struggling character of power is in every discourse. Power is not only evident on political apparatus, on the religious order or on the intellectual community but power is seen on all arrays of everyday existence. Our day to day social relations are power relations. One of the contemporary thinkers who would employ much time in discussing power is Foucault. Some thinkers considered him as a poststrcuturalist or a postmodern thinker, because of the fluidity of his ideas. Moreover, there are critics who accused him of relativism because of his theory favors, intersubjectivity, the discursive method, discourse among others. Foucault (2002) did not suggests a central power or a solid one that one can see for instance in an authoritarian society, rather in looking at society, one could see ‘pockets’ of power or a decentralized one coming from various discourses. On the other hand, in his theory of knowledge one can see its deviation from Descartes Cogito. Reason as the underlying principle of the enlightenment period, did not escaped the gaze of Foucault. In his Madness and Civilization (1965) he examined that through history, madness became an invention that would serve as the opposite of reason. With the definition on madness as â€Å"non-rational† or irrational, it justifies the power of reason during the enlightenment period. Only through its binary opposition which is madness can reason hold its power. The control of the patient with the development of psychiatry in Madness and Civilization (1965) also served as a critique that looks at how modern society manifests the same features as that one can find in the discipline of psychiatry. There are various means by which society controls the individual. Foucault discussed that in the modern era, exercising power need not necessarily be brute and obvious. One example is his idea of punishment as a result of deviating from the norm. Foucault in Discipline an Punish (1977), discussed in what way torture as a form of punishment in the 18th century was transformed by discipline. With the birth of the prison, instead of attacking the physical body the institution inculcate discipline as a form of punishment. This feature of the prison, and even the birth of the clinic shows how slowly modern society is becoming more authoritarian and all of these are possible because of the different knowledge that people believe as true and moral during their times. Foucault in his Archeology of Knowledge (2002) look at historical development not in a continuum because he did not believed in a unified discourse as proposed by grand narratives such as that of the Parsonian theory. What one can see through history are various realities, are what he called discontinuities. Much of his theory of power and knowledge could also be seen in the History of Sexuality (1990) wherein he is not interested in sexuality per se, but in looking at the underlying struggle within the discourse of sexuality. While in the earlier periods, society repress one’s sexuality, this kind of discourse even propagates it. The more that society for instance repressed homosexuality, the more that people become interested in exploring the topic. In the History of Sexuality (1990)), he sees the reciprocal relation of power and knowledge. One example is the different meanings that society give on sexual relations such as relations out of marriage and the one allowed by the community. These definitions creates divisions in society, thus exercising power over the individual through social norms. By propagating a certain kind of knowledge, this could lead to a power relation between groups. The one who is in control of knowledge will therefore exercise power to the other group. However, it must be clear that the reciprocal relation of power and knowledge is not fixed rather it transform through every discourse. Apart from Foucault, Jean Lyotard also contributes to the debate on the relationship of power and knowledge. In his book, the Postmodern Condition (1979) Lyotard mentioned that the transformation of society into industrialized and complex system leads into the redefinition of the nature of knowledge. In Modern societies, the power of the capitalists to open the market leads to the question that, what kind of knowledge is acceptable or is legitimate provided that there are a lot of choices. Lyotard(1979) sees the complexities in modern times because when one looks at it, it is in no longer a question of simple legitimacy of knowledge but a question of who has the power to decide what is acceptable or legitimate. In addressing the uncertainties of knowledge, Lyotard suggests that one should employ the value of speaking the same language game. How can people speak the same language provided that there are various ways of learning things? Lyotard believes that one must contextualize, and in this part he adopts Wittgensteins’ language game. ’ By contextualizing, the person should be aware of the rules before making considerable actions. Lyotard believes that to be able to analyze knowledge in contemporary society, one must consider what kind of society it is situated. The split between Parsonian theory and that of Marxism will definitely help in looking at the problem of knowledge. Initially one will decide whether to maintain the status quo or radically change it. Because of the ability of language to bind society through communication, Lyotard favors this framework in addressing the issue of knowledge in the postmodern era. Greatly influenced by Heidegger on the other hand, Jean -Luc Nancy (1991) believed that we are thrown into the world therefore we should not rely on God for our existence. Contemporary society according to him is becoming more chaotic in the sense that the harmonious relation in traditional society is transformed into a complex society where there are a lot of uncertainties. Uncertainties are brought by the unintended consequences of modernity. With the advent of globalization, the closed and neatly tied community is transformed into a complex one. While some thinkers consider the development of society into industrialized one as beneficial, still there are paradoxes to this rationality. Nancy in his concept of community critique the grand project of some societies to create a well-planned system such in the case of the socialist state where it only leads to violence. Much of the discussions of contemporary political philosophy dwells on how you can locate the discourse on power as a consequence of the accumulation of knowledge. The Unintended consequences of man’s search for knowledge and the transformation of knowledge into its many forms leads to different power relations. These power relations are seen on every realm of life, on every discourse in society. It is crucial to note that in the analysis of power, power lies to those who have control over knowledge, and in this age of information technology where there is an easy access to all forms of knowledge, it is only logical to think that power is distributed therefore decentralized. While the contemporary era provide a lot of alternatives,undeniably there are consequences that not even scientific knowledge can calculate. Yet the quest for further knowledge continues because beneath those ideas there you can always find power. Various forms of power operates on every realm of life. These are the fascinations of philosophers of the twentieth century.